Wall construction



March 16, 1943. G, H, ENKE 2,314,224

WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed July'SlQ 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ''IIIBEDRBEH.LENKE/.

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March 16, 1943. LENKE 2,314,224

WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed July 31, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I r I r 4 r I I II I I FIG. 51:.

F1 [3 5. I I 42 44 1 vucmfor/ 391 v BEERGEHLENKE Patented Mar. 16, 1943WALL CONSTRUCTION George H. Lenke, Elmhurst, 111., assignor of onehalfto JuliusJ. Ohlis, Oak Park, Ill.

Application July 31, 1940, Serial No. 348,842

13 Claims.

This invention relates to wall construction wherein one or moreindividual panels may be provided, the invention having for its objectto provide a construction which is simple in parts, efficient in use,and less costly to manufacture than those heretofore proposed.

With these and other objects in view the invention resides in the noveldetails of construction and combinations of parts as will be disclosedmore fully hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification and in which like numerals designate like part in all theviews- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the employment of aplurality of the panels in a wall construction;

Fig. 2 is a partial perspective view on a greatly enlarged scale of aninterlocked relationship between the upper corners of two adjacent panelframes;

Fig. 3 is a foreshortened perspective View of a complete panel frame;

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged detail sectional views illustrating the tyingtogether of two adjacent panel frames, said views taken as on the lines4-4 and 55 respectively of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of thearrows;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged detail sectional view illustrating thesecurement of two building blocks in adjacent panels, said view taken ason the line Sli of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

. Figs. 6a and 6b are views showing modifications of construction of thelocking strip;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken as on the line ofFig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

. Fig. 8 is a detail View partly in section and partly. in elevationillustrating the joint between the horizontal and vertical lockingstrips employed for securing the blocks in their panels;

. Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. -6 but illustrating a modification ofthe block securement shown therein; and

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view of the wall construction taken ason the line lillil of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

This invention may be applied to a single panel employed in theconstruction of a building wall,

,or to a plurality of similar panels laid adjacent to each other in suchwall construction, the sin or individual panel comprising a metallicframe of rectangular or other polygonal shape and within which abuilding block preferably of glass is of such panel frames to form arelatively large area of glass wall construction made in accordance withthis invention.

Referring to Fig. 3 the panel frame is illustrated as comprising aplurality of serially connected frame members, in thisinstance forming arectangular frame having the upper frame member 2, the lower framemember 3, and the side frame members 4 and 5, made of suitable flatsheet metal and preferably having cut-outs indicated at 6 to reduce theweight of the frame. 7

Intermediate'the ends of each frame member, and preferably at theapproximate middle there-- of, there is an integral cross-web indicatedat 1 for strengthening the frame member, and in the inner face of eachweb there is formed a groove 8 for receiving one leg such as 9 of asubstantially U-shaped clip indicated by the numeral H) (see Figs. 4 and5), the other leg H of said clip engageable with a similar groove 8 in asimilarly located web of another adjacently positioned frame. Thus itwill be understood, from the example illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, thatwhen two similar panel frames are laid in adjacent registry with eachother, a web of oneframe will be reg istered with a web of the otherframe, and that a clip In may be frictionally applied to the grooves ofthe tWo registered webs to secure the two frames together, the legs ofsaid clip lying wholly within said grooves to provide an unobstructedfiat inner surface in each frame for the reception of its glass block. g

At each end of the top frame member 2, and eX-' tending transversely ofsaid member or in a dif rection parallel to the web I, there is formedin the outer surface of said frame member a groove such as [5 spacedfrom the extreme corner edge of the frame to provide an upstanding oroutwardly directed rib such asvlfi, and along the substantial middle ofthis groove but spaced from each longitudinal edge of the frame is anupstanding pin such as ll. Likewise, at each end of the bottom framemember 3 there is formed in the outer surface thereof a correspondinglysimilar groove such as 3 providing the similar ribs such as l9, and.

along the substantial middle of each groove l8 are provided holes suchas 20, whereby, when two similar panel frames are brought into verticalor superposed adjacent registry with each other, the ribs I 9 of theupper frame will rest upon the ribs [6 of the lower frame, the grooves Iand It! will be in registry with each other, and the pins I l of thelower frame will (because of their length and size) engage but notextend completely through the holes 20 of the upper frame, all to theend that the weight of the upper frame is borne by the side framemembers 4 and 5 of the lower frame since said ribs are in the plane ofthe side frame members, and the engagement of the pins I! with the holes20 will prevent any lateral or transverse movement of one of the frameswith respect to the other. The purposes of the grooves i5 and It willappear hereinafter.

When two similar panel frames are placed in sidewise registeringadjacency, they are held together by a clip engaging the grooves 8 inthe webs 1 of the vertically contacting side frame members such as 5- ofone frame and 5 of the adjacent frame. In addition, a positive lock maybe provided between the adjacent frames by a tongue-like member, carriedby one frame, adapted to co-engage a mortise or other opening in theadjacent frame, and in Fig. 3 one such locking means is particularlyillustrated as comprising a dove-tail t'enon 2| and a correspondinglyshaped mortise 22. The tenon 2| projects from one end of the frame atsubstantially the middle of the top frame member 2 and disposed in theplane of the latter, the mortise 22 being formed in said frame member atthe opposite end thereof, so that when two similar frames are broughttogether in sidewise relation, the tennon of the one frame willinterlock with the mortise of the adjacent frame. Locking means of othershapes may be provided and disposed with respect to other frame members,as found desirable, but the same principle wil be involved namely, therigid interlock of two sidewise disposed frames to prevent anyseparating movement therebetween.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a portion of the joint between two verticallysuperposed frames, with a pin I! of the lower frame disposed within thehole 20 of the upper frame, a glass block 25 being fragmentarily shownwithin the upper frame, and a similar glass block 26 within the lowerframe, each glass block be ng of a depth or thickness greater than thatof each frame so as to extend somewhat beyond the edge of the frame(indicated at 21) to provide a space or pocket 23 between the glassblocks beyond said edge. Most glass blocks on the market have a rabbetor shoulder construction such as 29 along each ed e of a face thereof,and therefore such rabbet is utilized here for the reception of thelongitudinal edge such as 30 of a locking strip generally identified bythe numeral 3|, by means of which the glass blocks may be prevented fromslipping out of their frames. Said locking strip in transversecrosssection is shaped somewhat like a railroad rail, in that it isprovided with a circular or bulb-like head 32 connected by a neck withoppositely extending flanges terminating in the longitudinal edges 39,said head extending inwardly into the space or' pocket 28 between theblocks, and the flanges lying in the plane of the exposed verticalsurfaces of the blocks, as clearly illustrated. Shou d it be desired touse glass blocks having no rabbet or shoulder along their edges, butrather having right-angled edges. the locking strips may be providedwith a shoulder 33 formed adjacent their longitudinal edges as shown inFigs. 6a and 6b into which the corner edges of the blocks will fit.

A fiat spring 35 is disposed in the groove l5 of the top frame member 2of the lower frame, said spring apertured in order to accommodateclosely the pins [1, and of a length such as to provide a free endportion 36 extending into th space 28 and formed with a curvature tosnappingly engage and hold under tension the lower surface of thebulbous head 32 of the locking strip, it being understood that both endsof this spring are similarly formed if and when locking strips aredesired on both faces of the panel, only one side portion of the panelbeing illustrated in Fig. 6. A similar flat spring 3'! is provided inthe groove 18 of the lower frame member 3 of the upper frame, but saidspring is reversed (with respect to the spring 35) so that the free endportion 33 of spring 37 has its curvature presented to snappingly engageand hold under tension the upper surface of the bulbous head 32 of thelocking strip, whereby said head will be engaged between the opposedends 36 and 38 of said springs as clearly illustrated. The outermostedges of the spring ends may be curved or rounded as shown to permit thehead of the locking strip to be pushed there-between into its lockedposition with respect to said springs, and the parts are so dimensionedthat, when it is so locked, the longitudinal edges 30 of the lockingstrip will bear tightly against the surfaces of the corners of the glassblocks. The grooves l5 and I8 are of a depth to accommodate theirrespective springs, and the springs may be made of a thickness equal toor slightly greater than the depth of the grooves in which case the ribs16 may be eliminated by widening the grooves so that the grooves orrabbets extend to the extreme edges of the frames, since verticallyadjoining springs will be in surface contact with each other and,together with the vertical side members of the lower frames, provide acontinuity of support for the Weight of the upper frame or frames.

When a plate-like binder structure is to be disposed around a panel, oraround an assembled plurality of panels as indicated in Fig. 1, thebottommost panel is provided with the spring 3'! disposed in its groovel8, and the binder or plate 39 (see Fig. 9) is provided with pinssuch as40 which are similar to the previously described pins I1 and. forengaging the apertures of said spring and the bottom frame member 3 ofsaid panel, it not being necessary to provide the second or lower spring(such as 35 shown in Fig. 6) because the plate 39 is provided with arabbet surfac 4| adapted to contact and support the lower surface of thebulb 32 of the locking strip 3!. To prevent any turning movement of thelocking strip, one of its longitudinal edges 30 has shoulderedengagement with the corner or edge of the glass block such as 42, andthe other longitudinal edge such as 43 of said strip overlaps and abutsthe edge 44 of the plate 39, as clearly illustrated.

Whereas, in Figs. 6 and 9 there appears to be a space between thesurface of a block and the inner surface of the frame holding saidblock, it is desired particularly to state that such space isexaggerated in the drawings due to the enlarged scale thereof, and thatin actual practice such.

space will be extremely small and possibly there will be no space, sincethe panel frames are designed to receive their blocks in substantiallyclose sliding fit.

From the foregoing description it will thus be understood that thelocking strips 3|, so far described, are positioned horizontally asindicated in Fig. 1, serve to close the horizontal joints between theindividual panels, and are of a length such that each strip iscontinuous from and including one vertical side 45 to and including theopposite vertical side 46 of the panelled construction. To close thevertical joints between each pair of horizontally adjacent glass blocks(such as 25 and 41, and 26 and 48), short locking strips such as 49 and5! are employed, which are of the same cross-sectional size and shape asthe horizontal locking strips 31, but each short locking strip is of alength just slightly greater than the distance between the facingflanges of two hori zontal locking strips, as clearly illustrated inFig. 8. No springs such as 35 and 3? are employed in the vertical jointsbetween panels and hence, to secure these intercostal or short lockingstrips in place, the ends thereof in the region of their flanges areprovided with a rabbet such as 5! so that, after the vertical shortstrips are placed in position with their flange edges engaging thecorners of the horizontally adjacent glass blocks, the horizontallocking strip 3| may be springingly pressed into its locked position ashereinbefore described with the longitudinal edges of the strip 3|disposed within the rabbets 55 of the short strips. In other words, theextreme ends of the short vertical locking strips are locked or confinedbehind the longitudinal edges or flanges of the long horizontal lockingstrips, the rabbets 5i being of such depth as to cause the outer flatsurfaces of all the locking strips to lie in a common planesubstantially coincident with the plane of the exposed surfaces of theglass blocks so as tomake a substantially smooth. finished surface ofthe entire panelled wall construction.

Sealing compound may be employed or not employed as necessary, thoughobviously a weathertight construction wouldbe insured by its use inpanels positioned in outer walls of a building. Where the panelconstruction is incorporated in inside building walls, the dimensions ofthe various parts of this invention may be so pro-portioned and relatedas to insure relatively close clearances such that the locking stripswill hold the glass blocks substantially tight within their frames; theframes themselves are locked mechanically together as hereinbeforedescribed.

Fig. 10 is more or less a composite of Figs. 6 and 9, but extendedsidewise to show the duplication of the construction on the other sideof the wall, and extended vertically to show the general relationship oftwo vertically adjacent blocks, the lowermost block being adjacent to abinding strip. In Fig. 10 the same reference numerals have been used ashereinbefore mentioned, but, in addition,-

primes have been added to the reference numerals of those parts of theconstruction which have been duplicated in the left hand portion of thisfigure. The numeral 66 indicates the build-- ing wall in which anopening is provided for the reception of the panel construction hereindisclosed.

Thus there is provided a unitary panel comprising a frame, a buildingblock and locking means therebetween, which may be used singly or inplural numbers to provide a wall section of any number of units and alsoof various shapes. In addition the unitary panels may be preassembled.placed in the plate-like binder such 'as 39 and then moved as a singleentity to the job and erected in the wall with a minimum of labor costand a considerable saving of time in the erection. When a single panelis to be used, as in new construction, it may be directly inserted in anopening provided therefor in the usual or existing wall,

whereupon the panel will fit the masonry wall surfaces defining suchopening. ,When a single panel is required as a substitute for a damagedpanel in a group or plurality of panels as illustrated in Fig. 1 (eitherbefore or after such group is incorporated in the building wall), orwhen a single panel is desired to enlarge an existing panel design orarrangement of a plurality of panels in a building wall, said singlepanel may be inserted in the opening provided therefor (either in thebuilding wall or in the wall section comprised of the group of panels),and hence in these cases the wall surfaces defining such opening maycomprise the masonry or other material of the building wail and/or theside members of the adjoining panels. Therefore, the constructions ofFigs. 6 and 9 are instrumental in meeting these conditions of panelinstallations, and the similarity of these two constructions will beapparent in that the space or pocket 28 and the shoulders 29 of Fig. 6have their substantial duplicates in Fig. 9; the parts 29 and 44 havethe same function, wherefore the latter could be made identical to theformer. Building blocks of glass or other material may be placed in thepanel frames and should there be breakage of a block at any time, a newblock may readily be replaced in the frame without dismantling theentire structure, by simply removing the necessary locking strips,extracting the broken block, putting the new block and reinserting thelocking strips.

Therefore it will be seen that by this invention there is provided awall construction involving the utilization of unitary panels, eachpanelcomprising a frame and a building block therein, with a locking stripengaging an edge of said block, and yieldable means carried by saidframe and engaging said locking strip whereby said strip secures saidblock in said frame. The block extends beyond an edge of said framethereby to form with the edge of said frame a pocket, and the yieldablemeans is a springhaving one portion recessed in and pinned to a surfaceof said frame and another or free end portion extending beyond the edgeof said frame into said pocket and frictionally or springingly engagingthe said locking strip, said strip comprising a bulbous portionextending into said pocket, and a longitudinally extending flange whichengages the edge of said block. The grooves formed in the surfaces ofthe panel frame are similarly shaped and similarly positioned so thatwhen two frames are juxtaposed the grooves thereof will be in registryand by utilizing complementally formed holding means such as the pins lland holes-2i). or the tenons 2| and the mortises 22, the frames will besecured against relative movement therebetween.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details ofconstruction and arrange-. ments of parts without departing from thespirit of this invention, and therefore it is desired not to be limitedto the exact foregoing disclosure except as may be required by theclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. In wall construction, a plurality of similarly formed and juxtaposedpanels secured together, each panel comprising a polygonal frame and abuilding block therein, said frame having a groove formed transverselythereof in the outer surface of one frame-side with a pin projectingoutwardly of said groove from the bottom thereof, said frame havinganother similarly shaped and positioned groove formed in the outersurface of an opposite frame-side with a recess extending from thebottom of such groove inwardly of such opposite frame-side whereby thegroove of one frame registers with the groove of the adjacent frame withthe pin of the former extending into the recess of the latter to preventrelative movement between the frames, a locking strip closing th jointbetween the blocks in two juxtaposed frames, said strip engaging theadjacent edges of the blocks in such juxtaposed frames, and anchor meansdisposed in the registered grooves of such juxtaposed frames and securedtherein by said pin and having opposed socket-forming free endsyieldably engaging a complementally formed headed portion of saidlocking strip to hold said block in said frame.

2. In wall construction, wall surfaces defining an opening in the wall;a frame closely fitting such wall surfaces and comprising side membersrigidly secured together at their ends to provide a unitary structure,the outer surface of a side member adjacent an end thereof provided witha recess extending transversely of the side member; a leaf-like springhaving one portion rigidly secured in said recess and another portionextending beyond the edge of said side member, the extending portionhaving a socket-like formation yieldably engageable with a locln'ngstrip; a building block c1osely fitting the inner surfaces of said framebut of a thickness such that the block extends beyond an edge of saidframe; and a locking strip securing said block in said frame, saidlocking strip substantially coextensive with the wall opening and havingopposed flange portions one engaging an edge of said block and the otherengaging an edge of the wall opening, said strip also having a headedportion projecting in a direction toward the edge of the frame, saidheaded portion of a shape complemental to and engaged by the socket-likeextending portion of said spring thereby providing a readily engageableand disengageable lock between said strip and said spring.

3. In wall construction, wall surfaces defining an opening in the wall;a frame closely fitting such wall surfaces and comprising side membersjoined together at their ends to provide a relatively unitary structure;a leaf-like spring having one portion anchored to an exterior surface ofa side member of said frame and having another portion extending beyondthe edge of said side member, the extending portion having a socket-likeformation yieldably engageable with a locking strip; a building blockclosely fitting the inner surfaces of said frame but of a thickness suchthat the block extends beyond an edge of said frame; and a locking stripfor securing said block in said frame, said locking strip substantiallycoextensive with the wall opening and having opposed flange portions oneengaging an edge of said block and the other engaging an edge of thewall opening, said strip also having a headed portion projecting in adirection toward the edge of the frame, said headed portion of a shapecomplemental to and engaged by the socket-like extending portion of saidspring thereby providing a readily engageable and disengageable lockbetween said strip and said spring.

4. In wall construction, a panel comprising a frame and a building blockhaving slidable engagement therein, a recess formed in an exteriorsurface of said frame, a locking strip engaging an edge of said blockand having a portion adapted to interlock with an anchor means, andanchor means having one portion secured in said recess and havinganother portion comprising a yieldable free end formed complementally toand engaging the interlocking portion of said locking strip to hold saidblock in said frame.

5. For wall construction, a plurality of similarly formed and juxtaposedpanels secured together, each panel comprising a polygonal frame and abuilding block therein, said frame having a groove formed transverselythereof in the outer surface of one frame-side with a pin projectingoutwardly. of said groove from the bottom thereof, said frame havinganother similarly shaped and positioned groove formed in the outersurface of an opposite frame-side with a recess extending from thebottom of such groove inwardly of such opposite frame-side whereby thegroove of one frame registers with the groove of the adjacent frame withthe pin of the former extending into the recess of the latter to preventrelative movement between the frames, a locking strip closing the jointbetween the blocks in two juxtaposed frames, said strip engaging theadjacent edges of the blocks in such juxtaposed frames, and anchor meansdisposed in the registered grooves of such juxtaposed frames and securedtherein by said pin and having opposed socket-forming free endsyieldably engaging a complementally formed headed portion of saidlocking strip to hold said block in said frame.

6. A wall section comprising a frame and a building block havingslidable engagement therein, a binder structure disposed about saidframe, a locking strip engaging an edge of said block as well as an edgeof said binder structure and having a portion constituting one-half of ameans holding said block in said frame, and yieldable means having oneportion secured in a recess formed in an exterior surface of said frameand having another portion constituting the other half of theblock-holding means, the said other portion extending beyond the edge ofsaid frame and interfitting said portion of 'said locking strip to holdsaid block in said frame.

'7. A wall section comprising a frame and a building block havingslidable engagement therein, an exterior surface of said frame having arecess formed therein, a binder structure disposed about said frame, alocking strip engaging an edge of said block as well as an edge of saidbinder structure and having a portion constituting one-half of a meansholding said block in said frame, and a spring having one portionsecured in said recess and having another portion constituting the otherhalf of the blockholding means, the said other portion extending beyondthe edge of said frame and interfitting said portion of said lockingstrip to hold said block in said frame.

8. A wall section comprising a frame and a building block havingslidable engagement therein, a binder structure disposed about saidframe, a locking strip comprising a headed portion and longitudinallyextending flanges the latter engaging an edge of said block as well asan edge of said binder structure, and yieldable means having one portionrecessed in and secured to an exterior surface of said frame and havinga socket-like portion extending beyond the edge of said frame andfrictionally receiving therein the headed portion of said locking stripto hold said block in said frame.

9. A wall section comprising a frame and a building block havingslidable engagement therein, said block extending beyond an edge of saidframe thereby to form with the frame edge a pocket, an exterior surf-aceof said frame having a groove formed transversely thereof, a binderstructure disposed about said frame, a locking strip having a headedportion disposed in such pocket and having flanged portions engaging anedge of said block as well as an edge of said binder-structure, andanchor means having one portion secured in said groove and having ayieldable socket-like portion extending into such pocket and interlockedwith the headed portion of said locking strip to hold said block in saidframe.

10. In wall construction, a panel comprising a frame and a buildingblock having slidable engagement therein, a recess formed in an exteriorsurface of said frame, a locking strip engaging an edge of said blockand having a portion adapted to interlock with an anchor means, andanchor means having one portion secured in said recess and havinganother portion comprising a free end formed complementally to andengaging the interlocking portion of said locking strip to hold saidblock in said frame.

1 A wall section comprising a frame and a building block having slidableengagement there in, a binder structure disposed about said frame, arecess formed in an exterior surface of said frame and a pin projectinginto said recess from a wall thereof, a locking strip engaging an edgeof said block as well as an edge of said binder structure and having aportion adapted to interlock with an anchor means, and anchor meanssecured in said recess by said pin and having a socket-like portionextending beyond the edge of said frame, said socket-like portion formedcomplementally to and engaging the interlocking portion of said lockingstrip to hold said block in said frame.

' 12. A wall section comprising a plurality of similarly formed andjuxtaposed panels, each panel comprising a polygonal frame and abuilding block therein, said frame having similarly shaped andpositioned grooves formed transversely in the outer surfaces of opposingsides thereof and having complementally formed holding means whereby thegrooves of the juxtaposed frames are in registry and the frames aresecured by such holding means against relative movement therebetween, alocking strip closing the joint between the blocks in two juxtaposedframes, said locking strip having a portion adapted to interlock with ananchor means, said looking strip engaging the adjacent edges of theblocks in such juxtaposed frames, and anchor means disposed in theregistered grooves of such juxtaposed frames and secured therein by saidholding means, said anchor means having a free end formed complementallyto and engaging the interlocking portion of said locking strip to holdsaid block in said frame.

13. A Wall section comprising a plurality of similarly formed andjuxtaposed panels, each panel comprising a polygonal frame and abuilding block therein, said frame having similarly shaped andpositioned grooves formed transversely in the outer surfaces of one pairof opposed sides thereof and having complementally formed holding meanswhereby the grooves of two frames juxtaposed in one direction are inregistry and these frames are secured against relative movementtherebetween, said frame also having a locking means disposed in theplane of one of its sides and which coengages with a complementallyformed locking means of a frame juxtaposed in another direction therebysecuring these frames together, long and short locking strips closingthe joints between the blocks in juxtaposed frames, a long looking striphaving a portion adapted to interlock with an anchor means, said stripsengaging the adjacent edges of the blocks in such juxtaposed frames, andanchor means disposed in the registered grooves of the first mentionedjuxtaposed frames and secured therein by said holding means, said anchormeans having a free end formed complementally to and engaging theinterlocking portion of such long locking strip, a short locking stripextending in a direction transverse to a long locking strip and havingits opposite ends retained by the facing edge portions of two adjacentlong locking strips.

GEORGE H. LENKE.

